How does LeBron James’ betrayal of the Cleveland Cavaliers compare to General Benedict Arnold’s betrayal of the American army in 1780? Well, Cavs majority-owner Dan Gilbert may tell you the two are strikingly similar.
According to the New York Daily News, the day after James bolted from Cleveland to join the Miami Heat in pursuit of a championship alongside fellow NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, an obviously still-irate Gilbert changed the price of one of his company’s products to mirror the birth date of the infamous General Arnold.
Gilbert, who owns Fathead, a company which specializes in life-size wall graphics, lowered the price of those graphics featuring LeBron James in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform to $17.41.
General Benedict Arnold, who had fought on the American side during the American Revolution, joined the British Army in 1780 and is synonymous with what it means to be a "traitor." He was born on Jan. 14, 1741, hence where Gilbert and his company got the new price tag.
Following LeBron’s departure on Thursday, Gilbert already made headlines by writing a fuming letter to Cleveland fans, in which he described the situation as "cowardly betrayal" and "narcissistic." He even guaranteed that the Cavaliers, who have yet to win a championship in their 40-year history, would win an NBA title before the selfish star.
The new cost of Gilbert’s product comes as a major drop from the usual $50-$100 asking fee, but then again, even $17.41 may be too much for the inconsolable Cavaliers fans to shell out in the wake of James’ decision on Thursday.
